Digital Diplomacy: Opportunities and Challenges for Developing

Nations
By Gloriana Navarro Delgado

Spring 2017

SIT International Studies and Multilateral Diplomacy

Providence College
Global Studies
Abstract

Digital Diplomacy is the diplomacy of our generation. The incorporation of technologies

and digital tools into the field of International Relations has generated a great impact in
the way negotiations are developed. Because of tools like the internet, negotiations are
much more multilateral, and diplomacy is not a negotiation exclusively occurring
between governments anymore; now the voices of individuals, organizations, and
influencing groups take up a very important part in them and its outcome. The following
research will analyze information in order to explain in which ways has Digital
Diplomacy contributed into reducing the gaps between developed and developing/under-
developed nations, and into making this world much more equal and free.

2
 Acknowledgements

Because they invested their time and shared their knowledge with me I will like to
acknowledge the following people:

Minister Counselor Juan Salas Araya

Ambassador Istvan Alfaro Solano
Minister Counselor Manuel Morales
Ambassador Rodolphe Imhoof
Barbara Rosen Jacobson
Virginia Paque

I would also like to thank the members of the SIT Geneva, Switzerlands staff for all the
guidance and encouragement provided:

Dr. Gyula Csurgai, Academic Director

Dr. Heikki S. Mattila, Academic Advisor
Aline Dunant, Academic Coordinator

Lastly, I would like to thank my parents for supporting me and allowing me to have this
wonderful experience in Switzerland, and for encouraging me throughout the entire
development of this research.

Thank you,

Gloriana Navarro Delgado

3
Table of Contents

Introduction 5
Literature Review 6
Research Methodology 7
Analysis
1. Defining Diplomacy 8
2. Defining Digital Diplomacy 10
a. What is Digital Diplomacy? 10
b. Digital Diplomacys Goals 12
c. The Impact of Technology in the
Consular and Administrative Roles
of Diplomats 14
3. Digital Diplomacy: Who is better at it
and Why? 17
a. Digital Diplomacy Ranking 17
b. Developing Nations and the
Digital World 20
4. Leveling the Playing Field with
Digital Diplomacy 23
Conclusion 26
Works Cited 27
Abbreviation List 28
Bibliography 28

4
1. Introduction

The main theme of the following research study project is Digital Diplomacy. Its

importance remains in the fact that Digital Diplomacy is gaining popularity within the

international community, but in order to receive benefits from it, it is very important to

learn how to manage it and use all the technological tools with the necessary precautions

and responsibility. The following research will not only define what Digital Diplomacy is

and what are its components, but it will also specify what are its goals within a government,

in negotiations, and in contributing towards the unity of our extremely divided world.

Our world is divided, on one hand the powerful developed nations, and on the other

hand the developing or underdeveloped nations who most of the time remain dependent of

the decisions made by those powerful nations. The question that this research aims to

answer is: how is Digital Diplomacy an asset to Developing Nations in the process of

obtaining equal relevance and legitimization among the International community? In order

to answer this question a meticulous research has been done, where we analyze various

aspects that could help us truly understand what Digital Diplomacy is, what are its positive

and negative aspects, and how can Developing Nations really take advantage of it and rise

from the underdevelopment.

After reading the following research essay you will be able to understand what

diplomacy is, what digital diplomacy is, and learn how they are different from one to the

other. Also a part of this essay is the Digital Diplomacy Ranking. The purpose of including

this Ranking is not only to know who occupies the top and the bottom positions, but also

to then compile more information that will make us understand why are some nations

performing better than others in the field of Digital Diplomacy. Last, the essay will discuss

5
how is Digital Diplomacy contributing into making our world more inclusive and equal in

opportunities for all.

Literature Review

Digital Diplomacy is a fairly new topic. For this reason, the majority of the

information or scholarly articles available are quite unspecific and mainly focused on

describing what Digital Diplomacy is. Authors like Richard Woolcott, Nicholas Westcott,

Eugene Nweke and Beata Surmacz are part of the list of authors whose work was studied

and analyzed with the purpose of learning about Digital Diplomacy for this research. Most

of the authors emphasize the existence of the internet as a tool that can generate a

tremendous impact in the field of international relations. At the same time, they specify the

positive and negative aspects of Digital Diplomacy.

Regarding the part were as a researcher I intended to find a connection between

Digital Diplomacy and the rise from the underdevelopment finding scholarly articles,

journals, or books that specifically made reference to this was complicated since there is

not a lot of substantial research done in this field. Nevertheless, the works done by authors

like L.A Ogunsola, R. Lewis, or Sandra Bart who within their work manage to make

connections between the use of technology, diplomacy, and development.

There certainly are existent gaps on knowledge since the amount of research done

in the field is not quite substantial just yet, probably resulting from the fact that it is such a

recent topic. As a positive outcome, it is interesting to put the work done by various authors

who without being very specific, they still prove a point. Certainly one of the benefits is

that the doors are open for new ideas and research, which hopefully one day will be able

to positively influence the international community.

6
Research Methodology

The following research was successful after the accumulation of various primary sources

of information.

As primary sources for the research, a series of formal interviews with experts on the field

were held, and various scholarly articles and literature were analyzed. The criteria of

selection for the interviews consisted on finding experts or diplomats who have had direct

experience with Digital Diplomacy. The first formal interview held was with Ambassador

Istvan Alfaro from Costa Rica; Ambassador Alfaro currently works in the Costa Rican

Mission located in Brussels, Belgium. The second formal interview held was with Barbara

Rosen Jacobson who is a Research and Projects Associate for Diplofoundation in Geneva,

Switzerland. The third formal interview held was with Ambassador Rodolphe Imhoof from

Switzerland; as an Ambassador he has been previously stationed as a Swiss representative

in Central America and the Caribbean. Other two very important informal interviews were

held; one with Virginia Paque who is an associate to Diplofoundation and an expert in

Internet Governance and E-Diplomacy Programme, and the other one with Minister

Counselor Manuel Morales from Costa Rica who is currently stationed in the Costa Rican

Embassy in Paris. Another important piece of information was obtained from the data

shared by World Bank and the Human Development Reports published by the United

Nations Development Programme.

The methods used to analyze all the data and information were primarily qualitative.

All the interviews were held in a safe and open environment. All the interviewees agreed

to be included and cited in the following research essay.

7
Analysis

1. Defining Diplomacy

Nations and its authorities, as members of an international community where they share

borders, oceans, and natural resources, have had to negotiate with other states in order to

pursue and defend their interests. Beata Surmacz splits the concept of diplomacy in two

sections, calling them the macro and micro perspectives of diplomacy. The macro

perspective refers to the process of communication that is central to the international

community, were its members participate in dialogues and negotiate to fulfill their

interests; on the other hand, the micro perspective refers to how diplomacy can be

understood as an instrument of representation, communication, and negotiation by which

each state engages with one another. i Regardless of the perspective that we attempt to

define diplomacy from, the same two terms will always stand out: communication and

negotiation. That is what diplomacy is mainly about.

The world and all its pieces are interconnected; some nations posses what other

countries do not, which is an automatic incentive to start negotiations. As it is explained

by Richard Woolcott in his article Pathways of Modern Diplomacy, certainly the tension

between the nations of the world comes from the pursuit of national interest that all

countries have, and the growing interdependence that these countries also have.ii At the

end of the day, most nations have as a major objective to remain safe or threat free, and be

able to economically develop and grow.

Through International Relations and Diplomacy, nations interact with one another,

seeking to have a balance between their interests, their objectives, and their needs, with the

8
ones that the other countries have, while at the same time trying to remain risk free. As it

is stated by Ganesh Prasad Pokhariyal, Diplomacy is described as the art and practice of

conducting negotiations between nations, groups of people and individuals, including the

techniques and forms usually employediii. Throughout time, the ways by which countries

exercise diplomacy has changed, nowadays depending more on the use of tools like the

internet and technology. The levels of interaction with the rest of the international

community change depending on the stability, economic development, or political

ideologies of every country, making each countrys diplomatic experience to be very

particular.

Stating again, the major objective of diplomacy is to have security and protect the

national interests of a country. In order to obtain this, diplomatic means seem to balance

the usage of soft and hard power. Exemplifying the usage of hard power, coercion and use

of force are not or should not be the first road to negotiations. For reasons like trying to

minimize the suffering of civilians or to avoid the economic instability that is found after

periods of war or international altercations, the value of utilizing soft power as diplomatic

means is gaining strength. In a globalized world like the one we live in today,

interdependence between the nations is stronger than ever, which results in the appreciation

of cultural values, that now acquire a primordial importance for international trade and

financial flows. Pierre Cyril Pahlavi states that culture and economics, sentiments and

signs, practices and values can no longer be dissociatediv, and that they all play an

important role in modern diplomacy. These are what we identify as soft powers. Nations

now appreciate cultures, ideologies, education, and natural resources as means of

negotiation. Respect between the nations has become a key aspect of negotiations as well.

9
 Modern diplomacy is a broad concept that is constantly changing an adapting to the

necessities and demands of our technological, globalized, and interconnected world.

Modern diplomacy is influenced by factors like religion, technology, and economy of a

nation, so it is important to clarify that now more than ever, these interconnected terms

should all be taken into consideration during bilateral or multilateral negotiations or policy

development.

2. Defining Digital Diplomacy

a. What is Digital Diplomacy?

International Relations and technological advancements have worked and developed

hand in hand. Technologies have had a significant and unquestionable growth and

development throughout the 21st Century. Nowadays, technology is everywhere;

technological artifacts are a part of the daily life of millions of people around the globe.

Certainly one of the benefits that technology has brought to our society is that it allows to

access information on an almost immediate way from almost anywhere in the world. The

communication methods and response channels have increased its rapidness, and today we

can exchange information originated in one side of the planet and transferred to the

opposite side in a matter of seconds. Technology, immediate communication channels, and

social media play a very important role in the career of a current diplomat.

Diplofoundation, a non-profit foundation created by the governments of Malta and

Switzerland with the purpose of increasing the role and global governance abilities of small

and developing states, provides a definition to what Digital Diplomacy is. They state that

10
Digital diplomacy describes new methods and modes of of conducting diplomacy with

the help of Internet and ICTsv; the acronym ICTs stands for information and

communication technologies, which are basically any sort of technological tools that

allows people to store, disseminate, create, and communicate information. Beata Surmacz

mentions the ICTs and states that these technologies enable direct communications by

videoconferences for example, the access to information with the world wide web and GPS,

the sharing of information, the possibility of having low-cost collaborative work, and

mobility with the presence of laptops and smartphones.vi The impact that technology and

specially the internet have had on international relations is evident. The ways by which

communication between people, governments and other sort of entities have changed, for

example text and email have replaced letters and faxes; websites are supplementing, and

in some cases replacing, printed and broadcast media.vii The usage of technology and mass

media has become part of the every day career of a modern Diplomat of Government

representative. On March 6th of 2017, throughout the course of a personal interview with

Ambassador Istvan Alfaro Solano, who is the Costa Rican Ambassador to Belgium,

Luxembourg, and the Costa Rican Mission for the European Union, he mentioned that

when he began his diplomatic career, the Costa Rican Embassies were utilizing fax and

thermic paper to communicate, and that in order to inform themselves about what was

happening in Costa Rica and the rest of the nations of the world, they had available a limited

amount of press summaries since neither journals or television channels had any sort of

webpage or content published onlineviii.

Nicholas Westcott describes how the internet has fundamentally impacted international

relations by indicating that it has multiplied and amplified the number of voices involved

11
in the international policy making, accelerated and liberated the dissemination of

information, and last but not least it has enabled traditional diplomatic services to be

delivered faster and much more cost-effectively, both to ones owns citizens and

government, and to those of other countries.ix The fact that internet has allowed a greater

amount of parties to get involved in the process of policy making and other sort of

negotiations does not necessarily mean that these are easier to conduct. The internet has

become a platform were from powerful to ordinary people, everyone can participate in the

dialogues, express their opinion and be heard. This is what Digital Diplomacy is all about.

Digital Diplomacy has opened the doors for multilateral organizations, non-governmental

organizations, enterprises, powerful and ordinary citizens to influence and somehow

become diplomats on their own, since with technological tools the all have the power of

representing a group and affect the course of negotiations.

Ambassador Rodolphe Imhoof of Switzerland, states that certainly technology has

increased the number of participants in a negotiation and which could result in a prolonged

and somehow more complicated process of negotiation, but that at the same time it has

stabilized the outcomes of negotiations. When more parties and people are involved in a

negotiation, the preparatory work and overall process of negotiation is much tedious since

a greater amount of perspectives and ideas are involved. The positive results are that even

though the process takes longer, the acceptance and outcome of the negotiation are better.x

b. Digital Diplomacys Goals

Digital Diplomacy seeks to use the new ICTs in order to achieve diplomatic objectives

and carry out negotiations that protect the interests of the respective nations. It is important

12
to take into consideration what makes Digital Diplomacy be different from the regular

exercise of diplomacy.

Fergus Hanson in his article Revolution @State: The Spread of E-Diplomacy points out

the major goals of digital diplomacy, and describes how the use of technological tools

opens up the objectives of diplomacy to a much broader and bigger amount.xi One of the

goals of digital diplomacy is to utilize technology as a means to control, share, and

optimally utilize information on the pursuit of national interests. Other goals of digital

diplomacy directly connect or relate to this past goal; since it is possible with the new

technologies to transfer information from anywhere in the world, and overall data just

comes and goes, as a result another goal of digital diplomacy is not only to access that

information but to make a proper use of it. With technology, diplomats and governments

can have better reactions in situations of crisis, emergencies, or sociopolitical altercations.

For example, in case of disasters or terrorist attacks, government officials and other

interested entities can have a faster and more effective responses making a good use of

technological tools. Another important goal of digital diplomacy is the area of public

diplomacy, were technology allows diplomats and government officials to remain in

constant communication with their audiences, target them with important messages, inform

them and even sometimes influence their opinion. Other important goals of digital

diplomacy have to do with the consular activity that diplomats are part of. Technology has

allowed diplomats and embassies to establish personal communication channels with

citizens all around the world, while at the same time allows them to fulfill all sorts of

administrative work. Technology overall breaks barriers and creates freedom.

13
 Digital Diplomacy levels the playing field and allows all those who directly or

indirectly participate in international relations. The digitalization era has influenced in

making this world much more globalized and interdependent place, in making international

negotiations much more multilateral than how they used to be, and in allowing every party

to have power and the ability to influence the decisions that a state or various states make.

c. The Impact of Technology in the Consular and Administrative Roles of Diplomats

There is a current misconception that the use of technology and digital tools in the

practice of diplomacy might reduce the tasks of diplomats and even possibly displace them

at some point in time. As it was described by both Ambassador Istvan Alfaro and the

Minister Counsellor Manuel Morales, both representatives of Costa Rica in the Embassies

in France and Belgium respectively, diplomats that come from developing nations to work

on an Embassy have to be extremely multi-tasking, because they have to fulfill both the

administrative and consular activities that are usually distributed among various members

of a diplomatic staff.

Eugene N. Nweke in his article Diplomacy in Era of Digital Governance: Theory and

Impact, describes how technology and other electronic tools serve two specific diplomatic

tasks. He describes technology as a vehicle that enhances communication between states

and as a vehicle that carriers a nations foreign policy message across, both within and

outside its physical boarders.xii The Ministry of Foreign Relations of a country sends

representatives of their countries abroad in order for them to fulfill certain tasks: the

administrative tasks correspond to the negotiation processes nations go through in order to

stablish public policies, trade agreements, peace agreements, and much more. More

14
specifically, the administrative sector has to do with the image that the country portrays to

the international community, and to their own people. On the other hand, the consular

activities which have to do with the approval or denial of visas, work permits,

identifications, and general assistance to the overall population in the country where the

embassy is located.

Diplomatic missions and its online presence (e-mail, Official Facebook Pages, Twitter

Accounts, Skype, etc.) are changing the nature of traditional diplomatic negotiations; these

platforms provide the opportunity of engaging with external agents and other diplomatic

bodies without having to mobilize themselves. Specially for underdeveloped and

developing nations, technology has become an asset since it has allowed them to reduce

costs that used to be spent on travels or expensive telephone calls. Nevertheless, Eugene

N. Nweke reminds us that although virtual diplomatic missions may be virtual

representations of their physical counterparts, statements issued through virtual diplomatic

missions are not legally binding to the same effect as the ones issued from traditional

diplomatic missions.xiii Relationships, partnerships or negotiations that are solely built by

virtual interactions, the bonds created are never going to be as strong as those who are build

on a face-to-face interaction.

On the other hand, regarding the consular tasks, technology is taking over and

significantly reducing costs, paper, and time when for example people are applying to

visas, work or student permits. Nowadays most embassies run all this via online portals,

were applicants directly submit the information, which is received by the embassy almost

immediately after it is sent. There is a complexity associated with the use of technology for

all this processes. As a part of the consular activities, the diplomats also have engage with

15
an audience, by communicating information about events, emergencies, or any other sort

of information that might be relevant for the wellbeing of that audience. Manuel Morales

who is the Minister Counselor for Costa Rican Mission in France, is in charge of managing

all social media accounts of the Embassy. These accounts have the purpose of establishing

a unilateral communication with the Costa Rican and French audiences, to report updates

on negotiations or any other sort of current and relevant activity that might be of interest

to the audience. At the same time on their social media accounts, diplomats provide other

forms of contact like e-mail, phone numbers, or the physical address of the Embassy for

those members of the community who have specific concerns or questions.

Even though there are certainly a lot of positive aspects about the immersion of

technology into the world of diplomacy, there are negative outcomes as well. Virgina

Paque, a specialist in Internet and Digital Governance, agrees with the idea that mostly

those who are interested in obtaining visas or contacting an embassy will be members of

the overall population that know how to use the internet and have access to some sort of

technology.xiv In contrast, authors like Eugene N. Nweke believe that the complexity

associated with e-diplomacy creates digital gap among persons with low competence in the

use of internet.xv Especially in developing nations, there is still a considerable amount of

people that dont have access to technology and online contents on a daily basis, which

contributes into the thickening of socioeconomic gaps within the population.

16
3. Digital Diplomacy: Who is better at it, and why?

a. Digital Diplomacy Ranking

The way by which a small and/or developing nation presents themselves in the

digital world to the international community can be very different to the way bigger

and powerful nations present themselves and practice digital diplomacy. As it is

described by Dylan Kissane on his journal Revolution in Political Affairs, the internet

is effecting all areas of political discourse, exchange and public policy while, at the

same time, forcing those who study and theorise politics to change their existing ways

of thinking, working and imagining their chosen field.xvi Certainly the internet is

changing politics and the practice of politics all over the world, and international

relations which goes hand in hand with politics, is not exempt to this change.

In the web page digital.diplomacy.live the 2016 Digital Diplomacy Review was

published. Here they mention that the traditional diplomatic code of conduct that relies

on classical IR concepts such as mutual/multi-lateral recognition and negotiation is now

also shaped by new forms of diplomatic tools: hashtags, emojis, likes, RTs, pins, vines,

snaps, etc. xvii

Unlike traditional diplomacy, digital diplomacy allows anyone,

regardless of their geographical location, age, or level of expertise to be a part of

diplomacy. Today, more than 50% of the worlds population has access to immediate

information and communication with the Throughout a personal interview with

Virginia Paque she stated that part of the beauty of digital diplomacy is that it never

stops, it is active the 365 days of the year.xviii The engagement that diplomats look for

with digital diplomacy is that one that is active the 365 days of the year, that occurs on

real-time, and engages with everybody. With the existence of social media, virtual or

17
parallel worlds, and email, digital diplomacy keeps evolving but accomplishing that

purpose of an immediate and inclusive type of diplomacy. Certain ministries of foreign

affairs have been more efficient in the practice of digital diplomacy, and the Digital

Diplomacy Review of 2016 provides us a scope that explains why.

According to the Digital Diplomacy Review of 2016, whose goal is to identify

which are the top-performers and low-performers in the field of digital diplomacy, the

top 5 nations in the Digital Diplomacy ranking are: The United Kingdom, France, the
xix
United States, Russia, and the European Union. . The methodology used to classify

and rank the Ministries of Foreign Affairs in the Digital Diplomacy Ranking takes into

consideration and focuses on characteristics like in their presence, up-to-Dateness,

levels of influence, engagement with the community or audience, their level of

transparency and innovation, their ability to share but at the same time protect their

information, the type of content their share and the audiences reaction to it, their

strategies, and more. The presence of a Ministry of Foreign Affairs towards the

international community is now not only limited to government-to-government

interactions but includes also governments communication with ordinary people in

foreign countries. xx
For this reason, their presence in social media, mobile phone

applications, or any virtual platform that is accessible to other ministries but at the same

time accessible to the general public is extremely important. Currently, the Digital

Diplomacy Atlas reports the existence of 210 Ministries of Foreign Affairs, and

amongst themselves they distribute a total of 742 active social media accounts, 208

websites, and 43 mobile applications.xxi. Noticeably the most popular social media

platforms utilized by Ministries of Foreign Affairs are Twitter, Facebook, Google+,

18
 and YouTube, and out of the 210 Ministries a total of 195 have a website. What makes

the ministry of a nation to rank higher than another nation? Certainly is the quality of

those platforms, which reflects professionalism, the time and money invested on them,

and the overall effort that the government and MFA of a nation is putting into

developing a strong digital diplomacy.

If Digital Diplomacy is such a positive thing, why is it that some nations spend

more time and effort in it than others? The answer has to do with the capabilities that each

country has, which ends up being reflected in the abilities that a MFA has to strengthen

their digital diplomacy efforts. Using the statistics provided on the Human Development

Reports by the United Nations Development Programme to compare the top-performers

and low-performers in the field of digital diplomacy gives us an interesting perspective.

The United Kingdom occupies the number one position in the Digital Diplomacy Ranking,

followed up by France and the United States. The United Kingdom is ranked 16 in Human

Development. Some of the numbers that stand out are that 16.3 years is the average people

spent on educating themselves, and that an approximate of 92% of its population has access

to internet connection on a daily basis. On the other hand, France which occupies the

position 21 in the Human Development rank, its population spends an average of 16.3 years

educating themselves, and approximately 84.7% of its population has access to internet.

United States is ranked 10th in the Human Development Ranking. Approximately a 74.5%

of the United States population has access to internet and on average its population gets
xxii
educated for 16.5 years. These countries occupy the first 3 positions in the Digital

Diplomacy Ranking. Papua New Guinea occupies the 210 position on the Digital

Diplomacy Ranking, which is the very last position. According to the statistics provided

19
by the Human Development Programme, in Papua New Guinea only 7.9% of the

population are internet users, approximately 39.3% of the population is living under the

poverty line, and the average of years spent on education is 9, resulting on a 64.2% on adult

literacy.xxiii The numbers that create the greatest contrast are those that indicate the access

to internet, United Kingdom with a 92% of its population being internet users and Papua

New Guinea with only 7.9%. If the general population is not used to have access to internet,

then the interest of the government and its Ministries to invest in digital diplomacy is going

to be much lower.

Some other important statistics are the ones provided by the World Bank. The

United Kingdom in 2015 reported a GDP of 2.861 Trillion U.S Dollars, meanwhile Papua

New Guinea in 2014 reported a GDP of 16.929 Billion.xxiv With a greater GDP, we can

suggest that the economic abilities that each respective Ministry of Foreign can invest on

Digital Diplomacy are greater as well. Interestingly enough, it is also noticeable that we

can find the top performers on Digital Diplomacy to be a permanent members of the United

Nations Security Council, a symbol of power and legitimacy amongst the international

community.

b. Developing Nations and the Digital World

In 2005 L.A Ogunsola wrote that certainly an information revolution has occurred

and that we are living in an era where knowledge and information are spread without limits,

and that this revolution directly effects the economic, social, cultural and political activities

of all regions around the globe.xxv We currently live in a globalized world, in which almost

all nations are acquaintances and they live interconnected, constantly aware and depending

20
on what other nations decide to do. Since Globalization is something mostly all citizens of

the world have to experience, it is commonly assumed as a result of what social media and

other popular channels share, that globalization is a positive thing that brings wellness and

stability for all. L.A Ogunsola reports that typically the most developed countries are the

ones benefited by globalization meanwhile the least developed countries tend to remain

impoverished and the overall outcome is not positive for them. The development of new

technologies has encouraged nations to strengthen their digital diplomacy skills,

nevertheless it is quite noticeable that the digital diplomacy of developed and

underdeveloped nations is practiced in quite different ways since their capabilities are not

the same.

The ICTs are used to share knowledge, access information, and communicate with

one another regardless of the distance in between the parts. Various authors share the idea

that developing and under-developed nations have a disadvantage when incorporating

themselves in the international community via digital diplomacy. Jonathan Omowal Cain

in his article Web 2.0 Utilization in E-Diplomacy and the Proliferation of Government Grey

Literature describes how much effort a country like the United States has put into digital

diplomacy and their growth in that field. Omowal states that with www.state.gov, the

State Department has wholeheartedly engaged in the public information aspects of

eDiplomacyxxvi and explains how there is a constant upload of new and original

information and content that is shared with the public. Not only they manage to have a

constantly updated webpage, but at the same time manage several other social media

accounts. In a country like the United States, Digital Diplomacy grows not only because

its government has access to the newest Information and Communication Technologies or

21
because they have the necessary resources to hire people whose job is to keep these sites

updated, but also because the majority of its population has easy access to it technology.

On developing nations, the availability to access the newest Information and

Communication technologies can be more limited, which could possibly sabotage their

incorporation and participation on any sort of political or financial negotiation. This idea

is supported by Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen on their article The Digital Disruption:

Connectivity and the Diffusion of Power when they state that not all states will be able to

control or embrace the empowerment of the individual because connection technologies

will add to the strains of less developed statesxxvii. Another perspective is the one brought

by R. Lewis who states that it is hard to picture wireless communication and the most

updated forms of technology in countries that have terrible roads and unstable electric

supplies.xxviii Regardless of the complications developing nations might have in boosting

their digital diplomacy skills, those who make internal progress and utilize technology,

they have been able to get more involved with the international community and receive a

greater economic access.

Even if developing nations start working on their digital diplomacy with some

disadvantages, it is still something really important for them to work on. For a developing

nation that is seeking to grow economically and create positive relations with the rest of

the international community, digital diplomacy is a great tool to do so; Small developing

countries may self-present on the world wide web for any number of purposes, including

international trade and investment promotion, preservation of national identity in diasporic

citizens and even promotion of news from their point of view to a potentially international

audiencexxix Presenting themselves to the international community and sharing what they

22
truly stand for is a very important component of diplomacy in general. David Petrasek in

his essay New Powers, New Approaches? exemplifies how nations present themselves to

the international community in order to seek ways to unite and strengthen the international

lawsxxx. Developing nations start getting involved in the international community just like

that, by engaging with other nations, and now with digital diplomacy by engaging

particulars in the conversations. Taking into consideration barriers like technological gaps,

uneven diffusion of technologies, or other general infrastructure deficiencies might make

this involvement process much complicated, but it remains to be a great opportunity for

developing nations to rise and have a voice within the international community.

4. Leveling the Playing Field with Digital Diplomacy

The digitalization or incorporation of technological tools and internet into the practice

of diplomacy and governance has been pointed out by many as a way by which developing

nations can rise and develop in a sustainable way. The use of technology in the various

branches of a government can be beneficial for a nation, its impact can go from accelerating

negotiations between nations, to providing a higher quality of services that will overall

benefit its citizens and their economy. Sandra Bard wrote an article which she titled

Electronic government equals sustainable development for Guyana, where after all the

research done she is able to conclude that e-government can bring sustainable development

to Guyana. According to the facts sheets provided by The World Bank, Guyana is the third

smallest country in South America, and the third poorest country in Latin America and the

Caribbean. Bard on her paper states that while immediate or overnight success may not

23
result from e-government, substantial changes toward good governance, both in terms of

administrative capacity and democratic governance may result.xxxi Digital diplomacy,

internet governance, and the overall countrys usage of technology can strengthen the

country within itself and allow them to acquire power in front of the international

community; having a voice and be able to express and share it with the rest of the

international community is a most in our globalized world.

Digital Diplomacy is a very important asset for nations to have. Specially for

developing or underdeveloped nations, whose governments might not have a big enough

budget to fully develop a team specifically focused on digital diplomacy, it has become

extremely important for them to at least have one or two functionaries who understand the

complications related to digital diplomacy, and who can utilize the few resources they have

in order to successfully immerse their nation with the international community

Diplofoundation is a non profit foundation that was created by the governments of

Malta and Switzerland with the purpose of increasing the role of small and developing

states within the international community, to improve global governance and international

policy development. One of the major goals of Diplofoundation is to increase the power

of small and developing states to influence their own futures and development.xxxii

Barbara Jacobson, a member of the Diplofoundation team, explained what is relevant for

Diplofoundation and the work that they do.

Diplofoundation sees the internet as an opportunity by which diplomacy can become

more inclusive, for example by capacity development. Capacity development can be

explained in a variety of ways, but the definition that fits best is the one that describes

capacity development as the process by which individuals, groups, organizations,

24
institutions and societies increase their abilities: to perform functions, solve problems, and

achieve objectives. xxxiii Diplofoundation prepares diplomats mostly via e-learning in the

areas of internet governance, how to properly use social media, and on how to handle

consular affairs and public diplomacy with technological tools and digital platforms.

Barbara Jacobson explained that countries like United States have an enormous amount of

resources, with teams specialized on digital diplomacy, meanwhile smaller and least

developed nations do not have the resources to do so. If Ministries are trying to adapt to

this globalized and interconnect world, it is extremely important that they have someone

who is prepared in this field and is capable of strategically positioning and exposing the

country, making it more present and active in the international community.

Diplofoundation also emphasizes the importance of working on public diplomacy which

may be defined as a governments process of communicating with foreign publics in an

attempt to bring about understanding for its nations ideas and ideals, its institutions and

culture, as well as its national goals and policies. xxxiv

Diplofoundation seeks to teach

rising powers how to make use of soft power to found allies and legitimize themselves.

Virginia Paque, who teaches Internet Governance for Diplofoundations students,

believes that Digital Diplomacy is what can level the playing field within the international

community, giving each nation a voice and the possibility of interacting with a variety of

audiences. Nevertheless, Paque states that we are currently in a transition process and there

is still a lot of work that needs to be done in order to reach equality amongst the nations of

the world.

25
 Conclusion

The world of the 21st Century is more accurately described as the era of technological

advancements and digitalization. Today we live in a globalized world; as a result of

globalization all the countries in the planet earth have something to do with one another,

the whole world is interconnected. Some nations have what other nations desire or need to

have, and here is where diplomacy is born. Diplomacy is described as the practice of

negotiations between nations, groups, organizations, or individuals; these negotiations will

most of the time prioritize three different things: the interests of the parts, security, and

peace. With the appearance of the internet, the world wide web, and social media, the

traditional way of practicing diplomacy has changed, and now we have what is known as

Digital Diplomacy.

One of the biggest differences between traditional diplomacy and digital diplomacy

is all the actors that digital diplomacy involves. With the assistance of the internet, the

number of voices added into a negotiation are not reduced specifically to governments, but

now include organizations and average individuals.

The Digital Diplomacy Ranking showed us how those nations who are reported to

be developed, most of the time will occupy the top position in the ranking, while

developing nations still have a long way to go in order to advance towards the top of that

ranking. After analyzing all the compiled information provided by both previous research

and interviewees, it is possible to observe that internet can become a bridge towards

development and equality. Nevertheless, it is still necessary for developing nations

representatives to instruct themselves and learn how to cautiously make use of technology,

in order to obtain positive and sustainable outcomes.

26
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1. ICT: Information and Communication Technologies

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30